Words, Words, Words
by follicle
Summary: My Marauders drabbles full of fluff, plot bunnies, humor, and everything else that pops into my head (that I bother to finish). Short chapters. Latest chapter: Dear James (Unrequited love, OCxJP)
1. Gestures

"Y'know, Kitty, I think we could really make some magic together if you know what I mean."

Katie shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't look up from her essay. If she did, she would only encourage him. That was something she would never ever wish upon her worst enemy. But she couldn't help but reply.

"You know, _Black_, I think you need to get some better pickup lines. No wonder the girls say you're only good for looking at," she snorted, still writing absently on her parchment.

Black gave a sly look. "So you admit I'm good-looking?" he asked innocently.

"Sure, sure. As much a blind man can appreciate."

Then he began to sing. Alright, so Black may have had a decent face, but he couldn't sing for _shit_.

"I am the most beautiful man in the world!" he sing-songed terribly. "Even little Kitty says so! And she would never say such a thing even if she hurled!"

Katie nearly broke the edge of her quill. Closing her eyes out of irritation, she finally gave a sharp look. "Your rhymes are shit, and your voice grates my eardrums. Shut up before I report you to Pince," Katie snapped.

With the expression of a kicked puppy, Black went on doodling on scrap piece of parchment. The silence went on comfortably until Katie finished the assignment.

"Merlin's balls, I'm finally done!" Katie groaned softly to herself, stretching like a lithe feline. Feeling utterly satisfied, she laid her head down into her crossed arms on the wooden table, facing Black, who was sleeping soundly. With a content smile, Katie played with the ends of his bangs for a few moments (after making sure he really was asleep) and then gently ruffled his surprisingly soft, inky black hair.

After retracting her hand, Katie's eyelids drooped down to close as her consciousness slipped away.

She never did notice how when she tousled Black's hair, he subtly leaned into her touch. She didn't see the hidden grin beneath his arms. And she was lost to world when he opened his eyes and gazed at her for what seemed like an eternity. She didn't even feel a thing when he brushed a stray strand of coffee-brown hair from her pale, tired face.

Then again, Katie Grier never did realize these small, loving gestures.


	2. The Morning After

**A/N: **Warning**: Mentions of sexual content. Nothing explicit, just mild references. **

Katie blearily opened her eyes, vaguely aware of her surroundings. Where was she anyways? The after party for their Quidditch victory had been on the wilder side, especially since it had been against Slytherin. Some time later in the night, an idiot spiked the butterbeer, but nobody really minded since they were all too busy celebrating.

Shifting uncomfortably in her cramped bed, Katie froze when she felt a large, muscled arm wrapping around her waist. It was then she realized just how _bare_ she was. The thick comforter was soft against her soft, naked flesh. Turning to her other side, Katie hesitantly glanced up to see the unfortunate student she'd apparently spent the night with.

Shaggy black hair and tanned skin. She knew just who it was. She cringed. Katie would never hear the end of it now. She was doomed. Suddenly, horror dawned upon her expression. They'd been hopelessly inebriated the night before. Was a conctraception charm used? Scanning her surroundings for a wand, Katie spotted what was apparently Black's wand, which was nearby. She carefully reached for it, making sure not to disturb the Gryffindor Beater's peaceful sleep. Once she grasped the tip with the bare ends of her fingers, Katie managed to scootch it closer to her for an easy grab. However, in doing so, she shifted in Black's embrace, causing him to pull her back a bit more tightly than before along with some senseless murmurs. Casting a quick spell to determine the last couple spells the wand casted, Katie sighed a breath of relief. The contraception spell was intact.

Now to deal with this situation. Although Black arm around her waist made her feel small and secure, she admitted, being naked with him wasn't the ideal scene she wanted the others to see. She'd have to somehow get out of this. With furrowed brows, Katie cast a quick _Tempus_ charm to check the time. It was approximately four thirty in the morning. Nobody would be awake, at the very least. She still had time.

A lot of time, in fact. Katie couldn't help but think: Maybe she should just stay with Black for the time being. Disturbing him while his arm was wrapped around her would likely rouse the others with the noise. (She ignored the voice in her head that she could just put up a privacy ward or at least a silencing charm to muffle them.)

Instead, she turned towards Black face to face. She admired his elegant, aristocratic features obscured by stray tendrils of hair, which she vaguely remembered used to be soaked with perspiration as their bodies rutted against each others mere hours before. It was strange how calm she was at the moment. This was the time to be freaking out, yet she was placated by the young boyishness that was Black's sleeping face and demeanor. Perhaps it was the after-sex haze, or may it was the dim morning glow that made everything seem so _sensual_. Whatever it was, Katie liked it surprisingly.

With other useless, absent thoughts flitting about her dazed mind, Katie continued admiring the rest of him. She inhaled the musky scent that smelled of his subtle aftershave, sandalwood soap, sweat, and sex. She traced a light, playful trail from Sirius'—Black's, she meant— slender neck to his broad shoulders to his rippled abdomen, well-built from intense daily Quidditch practices. She didn't dare go down any further.

The thought of it made Katie blush to the roots of her hair.

Continuing like this, she eventually succumbed to the temptation of sleep in Sirius' arms and her head buried in the crook of his neck.


	3. Atypical Courtship

**A/N: Jily. The canonical pairing that everyone loves. My (not so good) version.  
**

**Thanks to:**

**miskachick**

**for reviewing.**

**I always appreciate a nice review.^^ Hope you enjoy.**

The constant rivalry between James Potter and Lily Evans was well-known throughout the castle of Hogwarts. Every banter and glare would incite much eye-rolling and sighing. The entire student body could only wish that the uncomfortable tension between them would hurry up and be solved with a quick romp in the sheets.

James, with his pride instilled into him since he was young, would never relent, regardless of how much he might think Evans was cute when she made vulgar gestures at him.

Lily, with her stubbornness as a strong-willed ginger, would never surrender even if she may have appreciated Potter's arse once or twice (or more) in that dashing Quidditch uniform.

Sirius, in all his frustration, wished nothing more than to yank the two by their ears, throw them into a broom closet, and let them cop a feel.

When James publicly humiliated Lily through humorous pranks and such, she fired right back with a witty comeback or a prank of her own. It was all very amusing to watch at first, but once it started, it never ended. Since their first year, the professors laid their bets down to see who would fall first—or at least _realize_. Flitwick set ten Galleons down for James. Slughorn voted James with a couple Galleons of his own. Sprout and even _Dumbledore_ joined in the stakes, vouching for young James Potter. The lot of them knew James' tendency to be moody and passionate. Once he got sense knocked into him, the professors believed whole-heartedly that he'd be the one to start for Lily. However, Minerva McGonagall and Rubeus Hagrid were the lone betters for Lily Evans. The Transfiguration professor wasn't exactly sure why Lily would be the one to initiate, but being their Head of House, her instinct told her so. As for Hagrid, he just went with his heart, much like McGonagall.

Now in their seventh year, the professors were rather curious as to what would happen. Only brief signs of their budding love had sprouted. They remembered quite well when Lily brewed a powerful but subtle love potion back in fifth year and fed it to James. For at least a month, James's behavior had become much more obnoxious. McGonagall swore she spotted him doodling hearts around his and Lily's initials. As the month went on, the love potion seemed to become more potent, and he was seen repeatedly asking Lily out. With the gradual change, even his friends didn't notice too much until the whole debacle between Lily and Snape. After the incident, the ginger fessed up to her prank to rid herself of the increasingly lovestruck boy. She had enough to think about after all.

That particular stunt had landed Lily Evans in a month of detention. However, during that time, the professors were more worried about her emotional health since she'd been humiliated by her best friends Severus Snape. But everything had sailed smoothly soon afterwards. Lily Evans and Severus Snape had parted ways, and she and James were back to their old devices.

The professors were pretty sure James became softer though. At first, they suspected him still being under the influence of the love potion, but that suspicion quickly passed. It seemed James Potter had become more aware.

The professors vouching for James were more than happy. However, McGonagall and Hagrid continued observing Lily.

Seventh year meant it was the last year.

The professors were quite surprised to hear James Potter being made into Head Boy. They pitied Remus Lupin, who'd clearly been the better choice. They did have a sneaking suspicion that Dumbledore was abusing his power to encourage the relationship. The headmaster pointedly denied it.

What the professors didn't expect was the quickly maturing James Potter becoming a fine young man. Gone were his bullying habits. His crude arrogance only appeared from time to time. Holding such responsibility caused him to mature rapidly. Dumbledore claimed to have had this intention from the very start. McGonagall found herself scoffing at that.

James' sudden coming of age also effectively put a stop to his many pranks and mischievous behavior. Although he did enjoy a laugh or two, fooling around like the six previous years wasn't exactly a great option with his position as Head Boy. Flitwick mentioned seeing him holding a civil conversation with Lily Evans, much to his surprise.

The most unexpected thing was how they began dating. That they began to was of no question.

During a Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, the former defeated the latter in a close match. While James Potter scaled the stands on his broomstick in a victory lap, Lily Evans called out to him. He paused by her spot in the stands. The ever-stubborn ginger, Lily Evans wrapped her arms around the neck of Gryffindor Quidditch captain James Potter and yanked him in and met his lips with her own in front of hundreds of students and professors. The crowd cheered.

Momentarily stunned, James pulled away for a second before grasping Lily's face and resuming their exhilarating liplock.

Days later, James Potter and Lily Evans were seen holding hands. All sorts of rumors circulated. There was one that the two were already together before, and the Quidditch game was just to publicize their relationship. There was another that Evans made a deal of sorts with Potter. If he won the game, she'd snog him in front of everyone. The happy couple never confirmed nor denied the claims.

It was a day that went down in the history of Hogwarts. The queen courted the king.

It was also the day when McGonagall and Hagrid raked in their winnings, totaling just over fifty Galleons. The two basked in their gold and blessed the new couple with smug grins.


	4. Dear James

**A/N: Unrequited love. It's very simple. **

_Dear James,_

_I've always loved you. Did you know that? Obviously, you didn't. I don't think you ever will know because I simply won't send this letter to you until perhaps after when you and Lily are happily married. I don't think Lily will be too happy to hear that one of her friends confessed her husband, but I think I deserve the right to at least tell you one day. But right now, I need to be getting the two of you together. I need to find out what kind of flowers Lily likes. Her favorite sweets, too. You are planning the best proposal ever after all. I know you've been working on it in secret since your HB duties take up a lot of day time. You, Sirius, Remus, and Peter asked me personally to help them since you guys know me as the girl Chaser from the Quidditch team. How could I refuse? Everyone knows you guys are meant to be. If I didn't help you, it would be as if I opposed your relationship with her. How could I do such a thing when you love her so much? Not to mention, I know firsthand how much Lily has come to fancy you too._

_I do wonder at times if I'm just being pathetic. I'm not chasing after the boy I've loved for seven years (you). In fact, I'm encouraging your relationship with one of my best friends. Is that pathetic? Well, to me it's not. It's just the right thing to do. Even if it hurts, it's the right thing. Who am I to get in the way of mutual love? Plus, you'll appreciate me for being the one to help you out. I rather like the idea of you appreciating me. You don't notice me too much outside of Quidditch. I'm just L's friend. But still, I've been content for seven years just loving you from afar. I can take it._

_Even if it wasn't mutual, you would never have fallen for someone like me. I've already accepted that. I'm not as smart as Lily. I'm not nearly as beautiful. I don't mind too much anymore though. I just wanted to tell you that I've loved you through a letter when I'm off and gone and you're happily married. You don't know yet, but once we graduate, I'm set to leave Britain and be married off to some respectable half-blood family. My parents have set me up with a nice man who works as a Head of some department for the Bulgarian(?) Ministry and I think I'll be happy enough. He's about twenty-eight now._

_I'll probably still think about you. I'll probably send letters to Lily about you. Maybe when you get this letter, you'll have a hard time remembering me. Merlin knows, really. I'll be married by then. None of you will be there for the wedding. It's a bit hard to believe that within the year, I'll be married in some other country and never see you guys again. Maybe Lily will have forgotten me too. I'm a forgettable person. That's why I've always seen Lily as my role model. She was like a dazzling light, and I was just one of the many moths admiring her and chasing after her._

_Anyways, I decided. I think I'll have someone or the post office send this letter to you when I'm dead. That way, I don't have to deal with the consequences. With my death, I'll leave an impression. You'll remember me as that plain girl beside L. You'll remember me as the girl who helped you ask Lily out. You'll remember me as the other girl who loved you._

_I reckon Lily won't be happy with me once you tell her (which I know you will). But since I'm dead, I suppose she can't really do anything to hurt me._

_Ah well, I'll end this on a depressing note. I wish you all the best and I do hope you and Lily get together before the year ends. Merlin knows how much the school wants you two to get together already._

_Sophie G._

After James finished the elegantly scripted letter, he felt his mind blanking out. Sophie. That was Gregory, who'd been a valuable Chaser during his time as Quidditch captain. He remembered her, though her face was a bit fuzzy. He recalled reluctantly asking the girl for her help during his seventh year when he would ask Lily out for the last time. It was mostly Pads and Moony who suggested it, but he had gone along when they decided to ask.

He hadn't seen her since graduating, and that was only about a year and a half ago. Judging from the last couple of paragraphs, that implied that she'd already _died_.

"James? James?" Lily's panicked voice called out. James hurriedly hid his letter in the pocket of his robes. The gorgeous young woman entered their bedroom in a state of apparent distress. "I've just gotten a letter from Marlene saying that one of my friends died."

James paled. His suspicions were confirmed.

"Do you remember Sophie? She-She went to Bulgaria after graduation to marry a bloke she said she met during Hogwarts. Marlene's just told me that she was m-_murdered_ by his husband's mistress. I-I—"

Lily's voice cracked, and her sobs broke through. She embraced her beloved husband and sobbed into his shoulders. James absently wrapped an arm around her shoulder while whispering words of comfort into her ear.

He didn't know what to think. But he knew he would remember.


End file.
